Page 12 (1/2)

His lips thinned "I can’t"

"What does it et what I want"

"What exactly do you want?" he demanded

"I already told you And I already stated that I was only saying it once"

"Good luck, sister, because you’re not getting any apology from me"

"Okay," she said cheerfully, and then because she enjoyed riling him, she added, "Shall I have ht you didn’t have an attorney," he challenged as if he’d welcome the opportunity to call her a boldfaced liar

"I don’t, at least not yet, but I i to take you to court"

"Julie…" Her father rushed into the room and stopped midway between Julie and Fletcher’s desk He spread his ar to assess the situation

He looked at his boss first "Mr Fletcher, I apologize that hter burst into your office"

"Dad, you’d better hear estured wildly at Fletcher "He tried to buy me off with a settlement offer!"

"I know, honey"

"You know?"

Her father nodded "Mr Fletcher told me it was in the works, but it’s none of "

"You involved my father in this?" Julie hissed at Fletcher

"Sweetheart," her father said in the gentlest of tones, "perhaps it would be best if you left now"

"Not yet" Julie was going to stand her ground As far as she was concerned, this conversation was a long way froetically at his eot a temper, sir"

"Dad!"

"She takes after her mother in that"

Julie was horrified to hear her father saying such a thing to a man who’d insulted her

"I’m sorry, Jules," her father continued, "but you don’t leave me any other choice" That said, he attempted to hoist her fireman-style over his shoulder and forcibly reht hie to lift her several inches off the ground

"Dad! Put hedto listen, because he set her down on the carpet

"Thank you," she whispered

"Julie, get out of this office," he said in a low, irate voice "Now"

She could only iine how amused Fletcherat her father’s employer

Suddenly her father walked behind her and wrapped his arht her unawares and she toppled back against hi her out of the roo

"Let rinning widely "Don’t you dare laugh," she warned, stretching out her ar at him

"Bye-bye, Ms Wilcoff" He waved and had the audacity to laugh outright

"We aren’t finished!" she shouted "Daddy, for the love of heaven, let go of me"

"Not until we’re in the elevator," her father said He dragged her through the large double doors

Fletcher walked around his desk Julie wanted it understood that he hadn’t heard the last of her "Furthery!"

Fletcher’s assistant stood at her own desk, eyes twinkling "Nice to have met you, Ms Wilcoff"

"You, too," Julie said, s weakly

The elevator arrived "This is your last chance, Fletcher!" she yelled

"No, Julie," her father said as he entered the elevator car The doors slid closed "This is your last chance I don’t want you ever pulling anything like this again Is that clear?"

She nodded It was ridiculous to be chastised by her father at the age of thirty, but at the moment she felt more like twelve

It seemed to take two lifetimes for the elevator to descend to the lobby The silence was so tense it allance at her father, as the calmest man she’d ever known, told her he was furious

"You will apologize," he said just before the doors slid open

She’d need to think about that

"Your car’s going to be towed," he announced without inflection "You took a handicapped parking space and you know better"

She resisted sta her foot Yes, she did know better